Howling winds from Hurricane Frances toppled trees and left a path of destruction across the Bahamas capital Nassau yesterday. One man was killed.

The hurricane's maximum sustained winds dropped from 145mph to 120mph during the night, prompting forecasters to downgrade it to a Category 3. But Frances still lashed Nassau with tropical storm force winds that knocked out power, pounded the city with rough surf and blew out windows in skyscrapers.

Streets were deserted in the city, which is on New Providence Island and home to more than two-thirds of the country's 300,000 people. Fallen trees, debris and satellite dishes that had been yanked from their mountings littered roadways.

Telephones lines on the southern islands of Abaco, Mayaguana and Acklins were lost.

The hurricane was expected to hit Freeport, the commercial centre of the Bahamas, by early today. Unlike Nassau, Freeport has fewer skyscrapers and its buildings are stronger.

Still, fearful residents boarded their homes and hunkered down inside to ride out the storm, a day after it battered the nation's sparsely populated southeastern islands on Thursday.

Guests at the 2,300-room Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island, outside Nassau, were told to leave their rooms and stay in a conference room.

"I came for a week of sunshine and beaches in the Bahamas and can't believe this happening," said Jo Pain, a 37-year-old toy buyer from London. "It's frightening."